Thermoplastic – DLFT

OverviewA premade mixture of chopped reinforcements, thermoplastics, and additives are placed into a mold and cooled under pressure.

Raw Material
Material development includes a thermoplastic that serves as the “binder” or glue that holds everything together, a reinforcement used to strengthen the material, and other additives used to enhance a quality or characteristic (UV Stability, Color, property, etc.) of the product or reduce cost.

Tooling
Due to the stresses created by high tonnage pressing, typically only P20 steel is used to create two piece molds. Aluminum and other softer metals are utilized for prototype runs but have a significantly shorter useful life.

Finishing
Direct long fiber thermoplastic molded parts can produce decorative surfaces through the use of texture and minimal finishing of the product would be required